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Proudly blogging about Strictly Come Dancing ALL YEAR ROUND since 2006. Always spoiler-free.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Lisa's First Impression
Lisa Snowdon has told Sunday Mirror that she wasn't that impressed to find she was partnered with Brendan Cole, and was worried about his reputation.
Her reaction?: "Oh no, it's the lothario."
I doubt Brendan was as disappointed as Lisa.
But she's certain that she won't be hooking up with Brendan, or anyone else, during the series: "I don't think there's going to be any time for sex. I'm in bits after training. I can barely walk up the stairs when I get in, let alone get jiggy with anybody. So nothing is going to happen until after I've finished."
John Sergeant has written a column for the Daily Mail about how he finally gave in to Strictly producers on the third time of asking.
Like all Strictly men, he had a wobble at seeing the sequins. But he says things are going well with partner Kristina, and he's not having too many intimacy issues so far: "Within minutes of meeting Kristina for the first time, we were being told – in no uncertain terms – that we should get closer together. We were on the studio floor having publicity photos taken. I was dressed in the outfit I will wear for Latin American dances, if we get that far. And yes, it does make me look taller and thinner, helped by the built-up Cuban heels. I was slightly concerned about the sequins sewn on to my front. Were they really necessary? I then noticed that Kristina’s outfit was carefully matched, although I couldn’t help pointing out that her costume covered much less of her. She took it in a good spirit. We were determined from the beginning to be friends, and so far, I have to say, it’s worked out well."
It's well worth reading the whole colum if you want to know a bit more background about John.
Craig Revel Horwood has launched the first attack, describing The X Factor as "tedious". Totally justified, of course.
Now magazine quotes Craig: "I’m not a fan of [Simon Cowell] or The X Factor. I hate the idea of some person from the gutter who wants to be the next Jordan. It’s so tedious."
Eurovision Dance Contest host Graham Norton has told the Daily Record that he would never take part in Strictly Come Dancing, in case he couldn't do it.
He told the paper: "Some people do get better but others look like they are recovering from an accident. It's just terrible. I like to think I'd be the one who learned incredibly quickly and in one week got the key to my dance and then was brilliant, but I've got an awful feeling I'd be more like Kate Garraway."
The BBC's big announcement was tarnished by the leak in The Sunlast week, which sadly was right on the money. But now we know who is dancing with who, so here are my first impressions.
Andrew Castle and Ola Jordan
I'm really looking forward to this paring. Andrew should be quite light on his feet and nippy after years of playing tennis, and won't be afraid of training. Let's hope he is more talented than his GMTV colleagues Fiona Phillips and Kate Garraway!
Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup
Camilla has lucked out by drawing another young, good-looking partner! Tom spent time with the National Youth Music Theatre, so he probably has dance experience. Camilla is always committed and determined, and will be itching to get to a final.
Phil Daniels and Flavia Cacace
I don't know anything about Phil as a person, but in my head I imagine he'd be a pretty laid back kind of guy. Flavia is a great teacher, and I'll be interested to see how they get on.
Mark Foster and Hayley Holt
Swimmers are some of the most dedicated athletes. They are used to training in the early morning and late evening, and I would imagine that Mark will train very hard. Hayley is a newcomer to the show, so we'll have to wait and see what kind of teacher and choreographer she is.
Austin Healey and Erin Boag
Like Mark, Austin is used to hard training, having played for Leicester until a couple of years ago. Can Austin follow in Matt Dawson's footsteps and make it to the final? Erin managed to make a dancer out of rugby player Martin Offiah. She is a patient and empathetic teacher, but will crack the whip when necessary. A strong partnership.
Gary Rhodes and Karen Hardy
I think Gary and Karen will be great fun to watch, and Gary could be a dark horse. As a chef, he'll be dedicated and meticulous. Will that transfer to the floor? Karen will work him hard.
John Sergeant and Kristina Rihanoff
The odds are more stacked against this couple than any other. John does not have the instant support base of EastEnders or GMTV behind him. And, though it pains me to say it, he doesn't appear as though he will set the floor alight. He has a lot to prove. Being partnered with a newbie pro doesn't help his case either, as Kristina will have to prove herself to the viewers too.
Don Warrington and Lilia Kopylova
Don is an accomplished actor, but I wonder if he has had any dance training at any point in his career. He's done lots of TV work, and lots of theatre, but mostly drama. Will Don spin Lilia around the floor like a pro?
Christine Bleakley and Matthew Cutler
I am excited about this pairing. Christine is charismatic and fun, and has demonstrated on The One Show that she is up for a challenge. Christine is a little bit like Carol Smilie in personality, so Matthew and her should get along well.
Jodie Kidd and Ian Waite
I'm a little worried about Jodie. Having been a model, I expect she can walk in time to music and should have poise. But I worry that she might be gangly and awkward. Hopefully, she'll be elegant. Height doesn't have to be an issue.
Cherie Longhi and James Jordan
Cherie has a long list of acting credits, but can she dance? She has to be committed to training to get the best out of James. He is driven and ambitious, and will want to make up for last year's premature exit.
Heather Small and Brian Fortuna
Heather is a musician, which I always think will be an advantage, but no musician has won the show yet. Brian is this year's only new male pro, but viewers may remember him from Season 4 of Dancing With The Stars which was broadcast on the BBC.
Lisa Snowdon and Brendan Cole
Lisa is a former model who now presents. She looks like she could be a good dancer, but who knows? Has Brendan bagged another Kelly Brook? He will be wanting to make up for 'what might have been' last year. I can imagine that Brendan is pretty pleased with his partner.
Rachel Stevens and Vincent Simone
It's going to be tough for Rachel. I think she will suffer from the 'Emma Bunton Effect'. Like Emma, Rachel is known for being a singer and dancer, and people may punish her for having what they might perceive as a head-start. But she does have Vincent in her corner. There could be some magic chemistry on the way.
Gillian Taylforth and Anton Du Beke
Gillian is famed for two characters. Let's hope that vampy Jackie Pascoe-Webb turns up on the floor and not dowdy Kathy Beale. I think she and Anton will have bags of laughs, and I think she'll give Strictly a damn good go. I can't wait to see their training footage.
Jessie Wallace and Darren Bennett
Jessie will always be rough-around-the-edges Kat Slater to the British public, but she now has a fantastic opportunity to be a graceful swan on the floor. Jessie appeared in Rent on the West End stage, which I think has some dancing in it. Jessie is Darren's third EastEnder, and he was successful with both Jill and Letitia. Can he threepeat with Jessie?
If you haven't seen it, here is the reveal trailer. The new series begins on 20th September.
Worried you'll be too busy to read the whole of Len's autobiography?
The Mail on Sunday has published a lengthy adaptation all about the ladies in Len's life. It's worth reading for a) the fantastic old pics and b) the description of Len's run-in with Brendan at the end of last series.
If this is just a taster, the whole book should be really interesting.
The BBC have posted a teaser trailer on the official website. It's getting very exciting now. Looks like the opening credits photoshoot has already been completed.
This series of Strictly seems to be leakier than a sieve, as The Sun has now printed what it claims to be the official line up.
The Girls:
Rachel Stevens, ex S Club 7 singer Christine Bleakley, presenter of The One Show Lisa Snowdon, model and Capital Radio breakfast presenter Jessie Wallace, ex-EastEnders actress Gillian Taylforth, ex-EastEnders actress Cherie Lunghi, actress Heather Small, ex-M People singer Jodie Kidd, model
The Boys: Austin Healey, ex-rugby player Gary Rhodes, celebrity chef Phil Daniels, ex-EastEnders actor Andrew Castle, GMTV presenter John Sergeant, broadcast journalist Don Warrington, actor Tim Chambers, Holby City actor Mark Foster, swimmer
Based on this lineup alone, I would put my money on a girl to win. Maybe Christine or Jodie.
The BBC's official announcement is due on Thursday, so we'll find out who is paired with who then.
Nicole Cutler has launched a scathing attack on Strictly Come Dancing in today's News Of The World.
Nicole tells how the dancers' reported £17,000 pay ended up being minimum wage, when the hours they work is taken into consideration: "The amount we got paid compared to the hours we actually put in rehearsing and performing meant we were on the minimum wage.”
Nicole on Bruce: “He is 80 so when he forgets our names we do understand because he manages to keep it together on the live show. But it can be a bit embarrassing not knowing if he actually knows who you are.”
Nicole on Tess: “In the three years of working on the show I never once had a conversation with Tess that wasn’t on camera. They make it look like she’s best mates with us all but she doesn’t talk to us off camera. She wouldn’t know what’s going on behind the scenes in a dance partnership.”
On last year's love triangle: “It was horrible to watch. I saw Vincent slowly crumble as the series went on. He started out friends with Matt and then when he found out he couldn’t bring himself to talk to him. But things had been disintegrating between Vincent and Flavia long before Matt arrived on the scene. The boys just had to avoid each other. Vincent was with Flavia for 13 years. But they’re good friends again now she and Matt are over.”
But even after the scathing attack in this article, Nicole still wants to keep the door open: “I’d love to come back and do the show again. It’ll be extremely hard to watch it and not be part of it.”
I wonder if everything in this article is 100% true. Did Nicole say all the things she is quoted as saying? That last comment doesn't add up. If it's so terrible, why would she be so keen to have another go? Hmm...
Life is tough for Craig Revel Horwood. People attack him in the street.
He told the Daily Mail this week: "I was in this square in Newbury and I was assaulted. This woman came up to me and said: "You're Craig Revel Horwood, aren't you?" and then she slapped me across the face. Blimey! I need bodyguards."
Craig says he isn't nasty on Strictly, just direct: "I get to the point. When you've only got 20 seconds, you have to hit the nail on the head. I'm a critic of dancing, so I criticise. I was amazed when people started to call me Mr Nasty."
It's quite a long interview, but a must-read for CRH fans.
There is a lengthy interview with Len in today's Mail On Sunday.
It features some typical Len quips. He says of Arlene: "She paid for a drink once and it was so unexpected that the rest of us gave her a round of applause."
It's worth reading the whole thing. There is too much to condense down.
Vincent & Flavia recently visited elderly residents of Basingstoke to perfom, and delighted the crowd.
Vincent told the Basingstoke Gazette: "We're very passionate about dancing and it's wonderful to see the people here share that passion. When they were younger, dancing was a lot bigger than it is today."
Bernie Nolan is In The Mood For Dancing again and would like to appear on Strictly.
Nolan told Evening Times: "Reality series don't interest me any longer. I certainly wouldn't do Celebrity Big Brother. But I'd love to appear on Strictly Come Dancing."
New pro Hayley Holt is keen to make her mark on Strictly.
She has told the Daily Star: "I think the producers try to match up people who might make headlines - romance possibilities. It is all part of their cunning plan."
Well, that would be one way for a newbie to get noticed...
They now report that ex-S Clubber Rachel Stevens and Capital Radio presenter Lisa Snowdon have been signed up for Strictly.
Rachel would have lots of potential having been in a pop group which was highly choreographed - a bit like Emma Bunton.
Lisa is famed for being a model and presenter. I don't have any stong opinions about her, and as long as her Capital co-host Johnny Vaughan isn't doing it, I'm a happy bunny!
If they're not rumoured to be a part of Strictly, celebs are telling us how they turned it down.
The latest, slightly more unlikely approachee is Dr. Robert Winston.
He told the Daily Telegraph: "People think I appear on television to promote my image. That's not fair. I hate filming. I turned down Strictly Come Dancing. But television is a wonderful opportunity to promote scientific ideas."
He would have been an interesting participant, and he didn't mention Strictly just to get a bit of press, unlike some other glory-hunting celebs (*cough* Richard Madeley *cough*). This was a tiny, interesting, soundbite from a much longer interview.
Darren & Lilia paid a visit to Salsa Swindon to give a jove masterclass.
The Swindon Advertiser reports that Darren teased the crowd: “Would you like to know who we’re partnered with for Strictly? So would I.”
And Bruce's catchphrases have really caught on: “We went shopping one Sunday and were walking past this lady sitting on a mobility scooter thing. She was driving past us, slowed down and shouted ‘you’re my favourite’ to Lilia and drove off. It was probably the funniest thing I have ever seen. I was in bits.”
Craig Revel Horwood recently invited Fabulous magazine round to have a look at his flat.
It's a really nice looking flat, which he shares with his partner Grant.
Craig enjoys entertaining at home: “I travel a lot with work which can make it difficult to stay in contact with friends, so when I’m at home I love having them over for drinks. Too many people allow their friendships to drift away when they’re busy, but I make the effort not to let that happen.”
I love the giant clock on Craig's lounge wall, which looks like the one in my local NatWest: "There’s no excuse for being late with this on the wall.”
According to the Mirror, the BBC have approached the other members of Girls Aloud to participate in Strictly Come Dancing to try and trump The X Factor and new judge Cheryl Cole.
But ITV are trying to sign the girls to perform on one of the live shows to ensure this don't happen.
I'm not sure I'm too bothered. The Girls are nice enough and I'm sure would be OK as participants, but I'm not massively excited by the poropect either.
Aside from the Live Tour DVD, there is a nice stack of Strictly-related stuff hitting the shops in the next few months.
The 2009 annual is on its way. The book is released on 23rd October.
There is a new fitness DVD, Strictly Come Dancing - The Workout, featuring Kelly Brook and Flavia Cacace. Release date is 8th December. The cover artwork is not yet available, but the BBC Shop has this nice photo.
Anthony Costa is the latest celebrity to admit he'd love to take part in Strictly Come Dancing. He enjoyed dancing with Blue, but would love to learn more.
He told the Metro: "I wouldn't mind doing Strictly Come Dancing, because you're learning a skill. Or Dancing On Ice because again, you're learning a skill."
Anthony is currently rehearsing for The eXtra Factor, a satrical play about the wacky world of reality TV.
This has got to be the busiest year for Strictly Come Dancing rumours yet.
The Daily Star is reporting that Davina McCall has had a meeting with SCD producers.
A source said: "Davina's very keen to take part and we'd love to have her".
I'd love to see Davina on Strictly. I have always been a fan. She has bags of personality, and I would imagine she's not afraid of hard work. I'd love to see her with Matthew or Ian, but I'm not sure how tall she is. She'd be great with Vincent or James too.
The BBC have announced that Louisa Lytton & Vincent Simone will represent the UK at this year's Eurovision Dance Contest in Glasgow.
I think they are an excellent choice. They looked fantastic during the Strictly tour at the start of the year, and they are always a joy to watch.
Thankfully, it's not just the televote, but also a jury that will make up the final scores - perhaps along the line of how the Strictly Come Dancing voting works. So maybe our plucky pair will stand a chance.
I shall be at the SECC on the big night, waving my Union flag like a woman possessed. I wish Louisa & Vincent all the very best.
I go away for a long weekend and there's a heap of news!
The Sun is reporting that former M-People frontwoman Heather Small will be a part of Strictly this autumn. They claim she is about to start dance rehearsals.
They also claim that presenter Melanie Sykes is waiting for a call from producers.
Either of these ladies would be decent Strictly participants in my opinion.
It seems that the planned Best of Series 5 DVD has been withdrawn.
Redkitewatcher of the DigitalSpy forum writes: "Had placed an order with Amazon for the DVD of series 5 that was advertised on their site. Have just had an email to say that the order has been cancelled as the item has been withdrawn!!"
Arlene has done the choreography for new musical Flashdance - The Musical, a stage version of the film of the same name.
The Birmingham Mail caught up with Arlene to talk about the musical, but of course, talk turned to Strictly and how Arlene feels about fame: "When we were at Flashdance I had people coming up to me and asking for my autograph. What Strictly has meant for me is that I have to go out with my hair over my face and no makeup on so people don't recognise me. I always make sure I do sign autographs because I remember what it is like being a kid and asking for autographs. But there is also the fact I am Arlene Phillips the choreographer and I am just trying to get on with my job."
So next time you see someone with no make-up and scratty hair, who looks a bit like Arlene - take a closer look...
Yet another celebrity has said he'd like to participate in Strictly. When will it end?.
This time, it's Hollyoaks star Ricky Whittle. He told DigitalSpy: "I've just spoken to producers. There's a lot of people on the list wanting to do it, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed."
Back in June, Apprentice contestant Alex Wotherspoon said he'd love to take part in Strictly.
Now, according to The People, he has been approached to participate. A source told the paper: "Alex was really popular on The Apprentice and has a massive fan base. He is a good-looking guy and execs feel he's exactly right for Strictly. There's no doubt he'll appeal to women viewers."
The BBC tend to avoid reality contestants. I know The Apprentice is different, as it is on the BBC, but I'm sure they could attract much bigger celebrities. Stars are queuing up to be on the show.
